Doctor Who_ Warchild - Andrew Cartmel [129]
‘Honey, everything is going to be fine.’
‘But I had a dream,’ said Eve, speaking quickly, trying not to trip over the words as they poured out of her. ‘I had a dream about daddy. About sharp bones in the moonlight. And things with long sharp teeth.’
‘Calm down, baby, please.’
‘Dogs with long sharp teeth. And they were chasing after daddy in the moonlight. And I woke up crying. Mommy said it was just a dream. But I knew it was true.’ Eve looked up at Stanmer, her tearful eyes huge. Her small mouth was drawn tight, giving her face a monkey-look of anxiety. ‘Just like I know it’s true about the bad thing.’
‘Hush now.’
‘Don’t let the bad thing happen.’
‘Hush. We’re almost there.’
‘Stop the elevator,’ begged Eve.
‘Sorry baby.’
‘Please.’
‘Too late,’ Stanmer smiled, relaxing. ‘We’re there, baby.’
The elevator had slowed to a halt and now he grabbed Eve’s hand as the doors hissed open. He tugged her out and into the big echoing space.
‘It’s all empty,’ said Eve in a small voice.
‘Top floor, spare office space,’ said Stanmer. He led her along a corridor, past doors that gaped open to reveal empty offices. ‘Room for expansion and all that,’ said Stanmer.
Then he looked at Eve. ‘What’s wrong?’
The little girl’s eyes were wide. Her expression was a rictus of fear. ‘Something moved over there.’ She pointed down the corridor to the big open room ahead. Stanmer paused and squinted for a moment. There was a flicker of movement ahead of them.
‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘It’s just the flag. You can see it moving through the window.’ He dragged Eve out of the corridor into the big room. ‘See?’ he said.
From the big empty room the giant flag attached to the front of the Agency building was clearly visible. It billowed hugely beyond the high windows.
Standing in front of the windows was a slender black woman in a military-style uniform. She had short-cropped hair and she held a gun.
Stanmer froze as soon as he saw her.
The woman stood watching Stanmer and the little girl.
She didn’t move. After a moment Stanmer recovered from the shock.
‘Who are you?’ he said.
‘Roz Forrester,’ said the woman.
‘How did you get in here?’
‘With the help of a friend’ she said.
‘Are you Agency personnel?’
‘No.’
‘Then you have no business here.’
‘I wouldn’t say that,’ said Roz Forrester. She stepped forward, away from the windows. Behind her the flag billowed beyond the glass, like a giant sea-creature undulating lazily in a big aquarium.
‘I’ve come for the little girl.’
‘You have, have you?’ Stanmer clearly wasn’t intimidated by the woman.
‘Her father has sent me. Creed sent me. To look after her.’
‘That’s nice,’ said Stanmer. ‘In fact, it’s kind of a coincidence. Because I’m also here to look after her.’
‘Did Creed send you?’
‘He didn’t have to. The Agency looks after its own. I found out that Creed was in trouble. That he was being stabbed in the back. So I came to help him.’ Stanmer backed slowly away from Roz, pulling Eve along with him. He was moving towards one of the open office doors.
‘So you thought his little girl might be in danger.’
‘Sure, that’s right,’ said Stanmer. He grinned tensely.
‘These people will stop at nothing.’
‘These people?’
‘Like I said to Eve in the elevator, the bad guys are after her. So the good guys have to protect her.’
‘But how do we know who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?’
For such a burly man Stanmer moved with startling speed.
He suddenly shoved Eve into the nearest office.
‘My point exactly,’ he said. ‘Of course, we could both be bad guys.’
‘Or both be good guys,’ said Roz.
Stanmer grinned. ‘That’s what’s known as the infinity-ofmirrors effect. Things can get confusing in the counter-espionage business. So I guess I’d better put my gun down before someone gets hurt.’
But of course instead of putting the gun down, he made his move.
Stanmer suddenly slumped forward, letting his relaxed body drop bonelessly so no muscular tension gave him away.
As he fell to the floor he threw himself into a firing stance.
He was aiming at Roz from a low angle and his first shot would